ASHTRAY
by ScottishUnicorn4Life
Summary: After one fateful night, time is running out for Mathias Køhler, as even his memories seem to be fighting against him. Several events manage to help him evade the growing darkness in his mind- but as Denmark slowly disappears from the world, is it too late for the Nordics to save him? I DO NOT OWN HETALIA: Main characters- Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland.
1. Chapter 1

Smoke.

It encompassed the stumbling figure, shrouding it in grey. Whoever it was didn't apparently care that their surroundings were just a blank canvas. Or that just breathing in the air seemed like a guarantee of getting terminal lung cancer. Not that Denmark cared either, but that was only because he had become certain that his lungs were immune to smoke after purposely using up 10 packets of cigarettes the day before due to a dare which he couldn't remember had come from (most likely Prussia)- much to Norway's disgust. He failed to hold back his laughter at the memory.

The figure was only a few feet away. Denmark found it odd that his interest had been caught yet again by _it_\- maybe it was because it was still impossible to discern _it_s gender, or whether or not it was actually human. It could be like that alien thing that America got drunk with. The mildly intoxicated country stepped forward to face the figure, secretly hoping that he would be able to gain a drunk alien friend that said more than _fucking_.

"Hej," Denmark was practically bouncing on his toes, "You're almost as tall as Sve! D'y'know you're the first person I've seen in ages- I don't think people use this street… it might be the smoke…" He trailed off. The figure had stopped when Denmark had first addressed him but had made no movements from that point on. It was unnerving. Denmark swayed on feet, which reminded him that he was drunk. And cold. He'd left his jacket in the bar…well, actually it belonged to Norway. Which meant that if he was planning on having a good night (or probably in his case _day_) of sleeping he figured he would have to retrieve it before Lukas found out it was missing- otherwise he wouldn't be able to have an open casket funeral by the time Norway was done. Turning away, Denmark had completely forgotten that the ominous figure had been standing directly in front of him. Until he felt a sharp pain explode on his scalp and the world around him dimming from swirls of grey into total darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

DENMARK

Lucid dreaming was weird. At least Mathias thought it was- he wasn't entirely sure that was what he was experiencing. He didn't remember falling asleep...in fact, he didn't remember anything. Absolutely nothing. What had he been doing? What had happened?

Who was he?

NORWAY

"I'll kill that bastard." Lukas muttered for the tenth time that hour. He knew it was the tenth time- he had been counting each murderous oath as each one came with more promise of blood being spilt than the last. Iceland watched with disinterest (which was his usual expression anyway but this disinterest seemed more...disinterested). He sometimes became slightly inclined to interrupt the older country's cursing but reminded himself that he didn't actually care in the first place so would stand to gain nothing from speaking up- in any case, he usually left that sort of the _fluffy _stuff to Finland or anyone who was dumb enough to get involved- like a friend. In his opinion, being someone's friend was too much effort.

"You should calm down," Iceland was too late to bite back the words that had spilled from his mouth, despite his previous resolve to stay out of Norway's issues. Norway looked up. "I would be calmer if you called me Big Brother again..." It was his usual comeback, but this time it didn't have the same feel to it. It was empty.

"I don't get what your issue is," _fuck why am I still talking _"It's not like it's the first time this guy has been gone for a while- oh wait, I forgot! He is only, let's see…over _500_ years old. That's older than you and me… and in any case, why the fuck are you worried? I'd thought you would be rejoicing over the fact that when he comes home he'd have a killer hangover."

Lukas glanced over at him. "I know, it's just…" He turned away.

"Oi. I'll sell all your Mythology shit on eBay if you don't stop only saying four words whenever you open your mouth, you _Mongólít Halfvit_*- it's just_ what?_"

"_Din dritt**_. Anyway, it's just that…this time is different…I don't know how to explain it but- _something_ is wrong. And until that idiot comes home I don't think I can rest easy."

Iceland clicked his tongue. It was just for show though. Deep down, he knew something was wrong as well.

*My resources tell me that _Mongólít Halfvit _means _Retarded Moron _in Icelandic just FYI- I may be wrong so *spontaneously combusts*

**My resources also inform me that _Din dritt _means _you shit _(as in you are a shit) in Norwegian- again just FYI and again I may be wrong *becomes one with Russia*

Until next time


	3. Chapter 3

SWEDEN

Many others have informed me about my height, not that it is helpful in any way. I already know I am tall. They have also informed me that I don't talk much, and I have one default expression that never conveys my true thoughts. They're pretty deep. I think. Actually, I'm not sure- I'm usually surrounded by idiots so it's hard to tell. My accent is hard to understand as well. These are my faults. These are perfect reasons why people should hate me- who would want to talk to someone who has less facial expressions than dead fly? Why, then, do they insist? My family. Why, back when everyone hated me did he hold out his hand, ready to be my friend? Denmark. He is everything I'm not. Everything I aspire to be. His face is an open book- mine is a blank card. His only fault is his hair, and perhaps his excruciatingly annoying habit of bouncing up and down when he wants attention.

It may not seem it but I envy him. Everyone wants to be his friend- I can count all my friends on one hand. Finland says that isn't true when I tell him. He's always there too, radiating like a second sun on earth. When Finland and Denmark are in a room together my eyes hurt. I don't care though, I love looking at them. Watching them showing emotions and saying things I can only express inside makes me feel better, like they are showing my feelings to the rest of the world along with their own.

But one of those lights were fading.

What lay before me couldn't be real.

The smell of smoke. The empty street. The broken piece of sunshine on the ground.

NORWAY

"_Hestekuk_."

"Language." Came Iceland's monotone reply from the other room.

"Norwegian."

"Fuck off."

_Silence._

Lukas glanced at the microwave clock. 03:57. The kitchen was cold. He was bored. No, he was frustrated. Frustrated he was stuck here. Frustrated that he didn't know what he should be doing. Through in the living room a sudden burst of ABBA, followed by a string of Icelandic curses, proved that Emil was still alive. Norway guessed that Sweden had left the CD in the player again- it was the _only_ house rule that he broke, which led to Norway believing that Sweden always left it in by purpose.

_Silence._

"_Hestekuk. Forpulte dritt._ _tispe. Pi_-"

"What the hell are you doing?" Lukas saw a glimpse of Iceland standing in the doorway before he and his chair collided into the wooden floor, along with a splittering crack echoing through the room.

"Practising my grammar." Norway replied whilst still sprawled out on the floor.

"Ahh, that's good- I thought you were saying Horse Cock, Fucking Shit, Whore and some other vulgar word because your weird ass brain had finally short circuited. You cannot imagine how relived I am to hear that you will be remaining with us for a while longer before you go to a mental asylum." Iceland raised his fist into the air in mock celebration.

"You sarcastic little sh- _WAIT_, what do you mean only for a while longer?!"

"Oh, was that the sound of the chair breaking when you fell? I can already feel Sweden's bloody vengeance raining down upon us for mortally wounding one of his precious IKEA babies. Except, it's not my fault so I'll just be leav-"

"You completely just avoided the question in the most indiscrete way imaginable, plus this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't just randomly manifested from nowhere into the room- weren't you just listening to ABBA down the hall?" Norway's face remained emotionless but his eyes glinted with amusement.

"Like hell- you and I both know that fucking Swede is to blame for that shit shoving itself down our ears. I just thought I would change my character's setting a bit by wanting to liven the place up a bit. Apparently the writer didn't like that idea."

"Huh?"

"WHAT. ARE. YOU. GOING. TO. DO. WITH. THE. IKEA. MERCHANDISE?"

"You mean what are_ WE_ going to do- and I dunno. There was a freak wind. There, problem solved!"

Iceland had barely opened his mouth to make the next quick remark when a resonating bang came from the other end of the hall. Norway rolled away from the dismembered remains of the chair and came up next to Iceland to see what had created the sound.

In the darkness of the narrowed space, there stood a looming shadow, highlighted only by the light cascading from the front door- which hung swinging on an open hinge.


	4. Chapter 4

ICELAND

"What?"

Finland glanced around at the younger nation.

"Ah, well, I got worried about Sve, so I went to find him and-"

"You. You went out at 2 in the morning. To find Sweden…don't you think that's kinda weird?" Tino tilted his head to side in confusion, his bright smile however remained unaffected. _Oh for fuck's sake, what the hell is there to be happy about all the time?_

_"_It's just that it seems like something an overprotective mother would- oh wait, bad example- it's just that it seems like something a clingy wife would do. Shit, that's an even worse example. I withdraw my previous statement." Iceland turned his attention back to his puffin, of which he had been gentling prodding on the head, out of boredom, for at least the past hour. Finland had been sitting across from him, telling him what had happened- or at least as much of what had happened that Tino knew, which admittedly wasn't much. As far as Emil could gather from Finland's story, Sweden had gone to look for Mathias but hadn't come home again- which then lead to Tino flipping the fuck out and going on a quest to save his husband, as any good-natured wife would do, from the evil clutches of the night. Or something like that. Iceland hadn't really been listening that much.

_Come to think of it, is Tino even capable of actually flipping the fuck out?_

Giving him a sideways glance, it was practically impossible to imagine that country even have a fuck to flip out with. But apart from that, Emil was certain his version of the story was 100% accurate.

Norway shuffled through the kitchen door, giving a wide berth to the mangled remains of the IKEA product that still lay in disarray on the floor, and joined the other two countries at the table. He looked thoughtful for a moment, before giving himself a small nod. Or possibly he was nodding to one of his imaginary trolls. Iceland found it easier not to think too hard about it out of fear he, too, would become bat-shit crazy.

"Listen," _is he talking to us or…_ "Denmark's in a bad way- Sve had to princess carry him home or something like that. Sorry Tino, he still loves you but he had to give someone else the privilege of sitting in his big strong arms-"

"Mathias is alright then, right? Seeing you have the time to pick on me- not that it's upsetting me, though! I know that's just the way you are, but really you shouldn't joke like that… people might get the wrong idea and… you know! Um…" Finland began fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve.

Lukas gave him a long deadpan look.

"Yeah, we all know you love him. Your face is as red as your stupid Santa suit." Finland shot his hands up to hide his face which also muffled any protests he had. _He would be so shit at Poker, fucking worst liar of the whole fucking year. He deserves a freaking medal_. Emil almost laughed at his own inner thoughts, but casually covered it up as a cough. Norway turned his gaze to him, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"In any case, the spikey haired idiot has the advantage of being a country- so unfortunately he will be right as rain by tomorrow and back to his usual jackassery. That's how it usually works, so why would it be any different now?" Lukas scratched the back of his head and sat back in his chair, "He was pretty messed up though- what the hell was he doing?"

"Do you think he was attempting to do Parkour again?" Iceland's voice remained monotone. He wished this wasn't an actual possibility, but it had happened before. On several occasions.

"No, I don't think so… it was kinda like… something… hit him…" Norway trailed off and swung back on his chair.

"Some_thing_? Don't you mean someone, you vague little fuck?"

"Defiantly some_thing_. No way in hell is a person gonna do something like that," Lukas gestured towards the back of his head, "there's no mark, no blood, no nothing. But he was defiantly hit, I don't know why I think that but… there's no doubt about it. It would be better if you looked yourself- then you'd understand why I can't help but be a vague little fuck." As he was talking, Norway had gotten up and started to drag Emil and Tino (who still wore a rosy blush on his cheeks) out of the kitchen and towards Denmark's room.

After years of being woken up by Mathias bounding up the stairs at god-knows what hour after doing god-knows what (possibly several poor attempts at Parkour amongst other things) he was eventually banished to having his room downstairs. Not that he really cared- actually he was ecstatic as, quote: 'I can now do unexpected ninja shit on a burglar who doesn't know I live downstairs!' Norway had then proceeded to throttle him whilst calmly drinking coffee. The rest of them had looked on in mild disinterest. In any case, only a moment had passed before they came to Denmark's bedroom door.

Anticipation suddenly shot through Emil. He tried to ignore it- Norway was probably making Denmark's ailment out to be far worse than it actually was. Someone pushed open the door...


	5. Chapter 5

ICELAND

"Finny is still asleep? Geez. What a wimp."

It had been a little over an hour since they had seen Denmark's still, corpse-like body lying rigid on top of his bed. Within moments of entering the room, Finland's originally flushed face had lost any colour and he collapsed to the ground in a sudden faint.

"You're just more moody than usual because you nearly wet your pants when he face-palmed the floor- c'mon, just admit it, you had to go change your pants in shame, right?" Norway's straight face did very little to hid his amusement, nor did his voice.

"Shut up! I just wasn't expecting it-"

"Ah, but you did wet your pants, didn't you little Bro?"

"Drop dead, and then burn in Hell for eternity. My undergarments have remained bone dry throughout the whole day, you _Typpatottari_. And don't call me Little Bro, or I'll-"

"Cry?"

Emil flipped Norway off. It was a lame comeback, and Iceland knew that he could come up with better- Hell, he had had years of practice. His mind, however, had different ideas. Thoughts of what had happened to Mathias were taking over his very being. Lukas hadn't been exaggerating. There had been no mark. No sign of injury or pain. But it was there. What _it_ was- that was yet to be established. But that wasn't the only thing that was worrying him. When he had walked into the room, a sudden image flashed in front of him. Swirls of smoke. A strange shadow. Blood.

Iceland rubbed his forehead. The more he thought of what he saw, the more his head ached; but he couldn't help it- somehow, it felt familiar. Like he had seen it before. Like it was a memory- a memory he felt that maybe he had desperately tried to block away. But why? What was it? Had whatever it was got anything to do with Denmark? _Ahh, shit. I'm getting a migraine_. Emil walked slowly towards the sink, grabbing a glass on his way. He fumbled with the faucet until cold water torrented out of the tap, letting it pour into the cup. His vision was shaking, with darkness creeping around the edges.

He was on the floor. A sharp pain in his hand. It felt weirdly wet. _I must have dropped the glass. But it's kinda warm…oh well. Not my problem. I can just blame Nor._ Speaking of which, a voice that sounded vaguely like him was nearby. No, actually it was faraway. Probably. Iceland didn't know. Or he couldn't remember whether or not he did know. What was he supposed to know?

It all felt so pointless now.

_FUN IS FUN. IF YOU HAVE FUN THEN YOU ARE HAPPY. HAPPY IS THE COLOUR RED. RED IS THE COLOUR OF BLOOD. I LIKE BLOOD. I LIKE PEOPLE. BUT I LIKE FUN MOST OF ALL. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE FUN. THEY SHOULD PLAY WITH ME. BUT THEY GET SAD WHEN I COME. SO I MAKE THEM RED. THEN THEY WILL BE HAPPY. BUT THEN THEY JUST LIE ON THE FLOOR. THIS IS NOT FUN. BUT THEN I SEE THE RED IS BLOOD. I LIKE BLOOD. SO I AM HAPPY. BUT I WANT TO PLAY MORE. I WANT MORE FUN._

_YOU WILL NOT DIE BEFORE WE FINISH HAVING FUN. WILL YOU?_

Emil woke up in a cold sweat. His breaths came in shuddering gasps. He remained still, eyes wide and staring into the darkness. As they adjusted, he recognised the familiar shapes of his room. He let out a sigh of relief, unsure of what he had been expecting. Iceland threw the covers away from his body and stumbled barefoot onto the landing. Looking down the stairs he could see the kitchen light leaking across the otherwise dark hallway. The house was silent. Iceland started down the stairs on unsteady feet, using the banisters for much needed support. For some reason, he longed for the light. Like he had been in darkness too long.

Pushing the door open, he saw both Norway and Sweden crouching in the middle of room. Emil turned and quickly closed the door, immediately feeling safer from… what? Norway would have a field day if he thought for one moment that Iceland was afraid of the dark- which he wasn't. He was pretty sure he wasn't. At the sound of the door closing, both of the other countries turned around. Lukas raised his eyebrows slightly. "You're up?"

"No. What you see here is one of your hallucinations. I am in fact an Ice Troll, but to avoid detection I have disguised myself as the most handsome guy around here. My plan would be going great except from the fact you are the only mental _Asni _who can actually see me- so in fact I don't actually need the disguise."

"Love you too Bro. And anyway, you had us kind of worried there- is your precious head okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? Wait, are Denmark and Finland still unconscious?" At the sound of Finland's name, Sweden, who had turned his attention back to the ground at which he and Lukas crouched above, looked back up.

"'hat do you mean?" Iceland stared at him.

"What do _you_ mean? He fainted when he saw Denmark lying on his bed- we all saw that."

"Denmark?" Norway had stood up, his complexion unreadable.

"I don't think now is the time for jokes, moron. That spiky haired jackass that you have the Homosexual attraction to."

Norway cocked his head to the side. "I do like him. But I think I like you more. You seem like _fun._"

"Wait, what?" Iceland's cold sweat had returned. They stared at him, unblinking. Their eyes were dead. Backing away Emil's back hit the door._ Fuck, why the fuck did I close it? I'm a fucking genius_.

Norway's lips formed a wide grin full of enjoyment. "_WHERE ARE YOU GOING LITTLE BROTHER? LET US HAVE FUN."_

"This isn't real, it's just a dream- so I'm not scared." Iceland stared defiantly at the grinning blonde.

"_WHY?! WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE?" _The fake Lukas' eyes remained lifeless, but amusement was still obvious to see within them.

"For starters, the real Norway wouldn't grin like the fucking Cheshire cat- that's for sure," Iceland fumbled with the door handle behind his back, "Plus, in retrospect I'm pretty sure I cut my hand. I remember it hurting." A sudden shot of pain exploded across his temples as he tried to delve into his real memories. He became aware of the fact he wasn't sure what he was doing…

"Wait, fuck you! Get out of my head!" Emil doubled over, clutching his at his forehead in pain.

Norway's grin vanished briefly, revealing a look of utter contempt and disgust. "_AHH-H. YOU ARE BEING SAD. HERE I WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT."_

Iceland's hand seared in pain. Pulling back, he stared at it as the flesh on his palm ripped open on its own accord. He bit back a scream, and instead looked back up expecting to see the fake Norway grinning once more. But he was gone. In fact, the world around him had disappeared as well- becoming a grey cloud. Of smoke. He was surrounded by smoke. Choking on the bitter smell which made his eyes water, he could hear distant laughing echoing around. Iceland got up and swayed on his feet, spinning around trying to face the direction of which the laughing was coming from; but it was impossible, it was as if it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Out of the abyss, a shadow suddenly shot out and knocked Iceland to the floor. He fought to get back up but found he couldn't move any of his muscles. Instead, all he could do was stare at the dark, faceless being above him.

"_IT IS A SHAME. I ONLY GET BLOOD FROM YOU. THE OTHER TWO ARE MORE FUN. THEY ARE FUN. I LIKE FUN. BUT I DO GET BLOOD FROM YOU. THAT IS FAIR. SEEING YOU RUINED MY GAME. MY FUN. I LIKE BLOOD. IT IS RED. BUT I LIKE FUN MORE. I WILL JUST HAVE TO HAVE LOTS OF FUN WITH YOUR BLOOD. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE UNTIL I AM FINISHED. AND DO ME A FAVOUR. SREE-AM."_

The figure laughed hysterically. _Fuck, I'm so screwed._ Emil almost laughed as well. _Even my last words are lame._

Iceland body jolted. The shadow stopped laughing.

"_WAAA-IT. NO. PLEASE. STAY. I WANT FUN. I WANT YOUR BLOOD. I WANT TO KILLLLL YOU."_

Iceland felt like he was disappearing. Like smoke after a fire. Everything was going black. Was he dying? All he could hear was the Shadow's wails. At least he was leaving that place behind. But he didn't want to die. That wasn't part of the job description of being a country. _I want to see my family again_._ That's not much to ask right? _The world faded to black.

Norway looked down. "Welcome back Little Bro"

"Fuck off, don't call me Little Bro after what I've been through, moron."

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "I'm all ears, Little Bro."

_TO BE CONTINUED _


	6. Chapter 6

DENMARK

Opening his eyes was like waking up after an eternal sleep. Maybe it actually was. He lay still for a moment, staring up at his familiar ceiling and listening to the familiar creaks of the house he had lived in for decades. He knew they should be familiar, but somehow they felt abnormal- as if he were in someone else's house for the first time. He felt like an intruder in his own home.

Gradually, he became aware of distant voices- they were hard to pick out, but a burst of relief shooting through Mathias told him that he was glad he wasn't alone in this place. He pulled himself up and rubbed his face as a headache began to grow behind his eyes. What had he been doing? He cursed himself. He couldn't even remember what he had just been dreaming, let alone what had happened before he actually fell asleep. _It's probably just a hangover, yeah that would explain the amnesia as well- so there's no need to worry_. He tried to push his uncertainties to the back of his mind and clambered out of the bed to his wavering feet. His ears began ringing and blackness sat threateningly at the edges of his vision, but he ignored it and carried on out of the door. _Hangover, it's just a really shitty hangover. _

The voices were louder now out in the hallway, but he could barely make out what was being said due to the consistent ringing that seemed to echo around him. His legs felt weak, and more than once he had to stop to steady himself before they gave out beneath him. Nevertheless, Denmark eventually reached the kitchen door from which the voices were coming from and was about to open it with his usual bravado but stopped short once he could hear what they were actually saying.

"-sure. In any case, whatever's going on is pretty messed up. Icey was scared shitless."

"Bullshit."

"Your comment is overruled. More importantly, Sve- did you see anyone else when you found Mathias?"

Silence.

"No-one?" A tired sigh followed by more silence could be heard through the door. Denmark rubbed his forehead again, pushing past the pain in his skull to delve deeper into his foggy memories. He was only rewarded with the migraine growing stronger, and the sickly feeling that all the blood was rushing to his head. He crouched down and gulped down the air until the ache subsided slightly.

Pulling himself to his feet once more, he pushed the door open, wincing at the bright contrast of the artificial light in the room to the darkened hallway he had just been in. For a moment his eyes refused to adjust, and so he was left in a strange white glow that was his own private world- a world that darkness could easily come and corrupt. Then, just as suddenly, his eyes readjusted to his surroundings and he could see the familiar faces of his friends- his family. Norway, Iceland and Sweden sat across each other at the table. They all stared at Mathias as if he were a ghost, and an extensive silence grew between them. After a while, Denmark gave them a small nod and shuffled over to join them at the table. The lack of noise within the room felt like a ton of bricks on Mathias' shoulders, however it appeared he and the other present Nordics were at a loss for words.

"A chair's missing." Denmark said at a length.

"Yeah, Bro, there was a freak wind," Norway shifted uncomfortably, "Probably because of Global Warming or some shit."

"Yes, the burning of Fossil Fuels that then deplete the Ozone layer are the sole cause to one of our chairs breaking. Inside our house. With no windows open. Or a draft." Emil's monotone input received an annoyed look from Lukas, but Iceland just shrugged innocently.

"So," Denmark paused to massage his scalp in an attempt to dull the headache, "Someone is missing as well- where's Santa boy?"

Norway and Iceland exchanged a look to Sweden, who just stared at the table.

"He's sleeping- we're assuming he's going through the same thing as Icey did."

Denmark stared blankly at Norway for a moment, "Yeah, you're gonna to have to elaborate more on that."

Lukas sighed and got to his feet. "Let's go for a walk. Little brother can stay home and search up pictures of the Northern Lights or whatever you do in your spare time. Just don't look up porn or we'll get that virus again."

Iceland stood up quickly. "Fuck yo-"

Norway closed the back door which he had been pulling Mathias towards as he had been talking. They both now stood in the back garden, an eerily silver moonlight lighting up their surroundings and casting long, stretching shadows that zigzagged over the grass. Lukas stuffed his hands into his hoodie's pockets and wordlessly started heading toward the fence. Denmark followed suite. They walked side by side until Norway suddenly stopped and kicked one of the wooden panels. It didn't move, causing Lukas to click his tongue in annoyance.

Denmark stifled a laugh, wincing immediately as his migraine reminded him that it wasn't gone.

"You never remember which one is the loose one, right?" Norway shot him an annoyed side glance, which yet again threatened to make Mathias laugh. He considered the rackety old wooden fence for a moment. Usually, Denmark could walk up to the right point without having to think about it- he had used the 'shortcut' in order to escape to do various things for years. Now, however, his memory seemed to be playing hard to catch as the panels refused to reveal any hint as to which one was the one he was looking for. He could feel Lukas' eyes on him, and realised that he was spending to long just staring at the fence. He walked a few paces away from Norway and kicked the wood randomly in hope it would move. The panel swung outwards, revealing a space that looked unlikely to be easy to squeeze through.

Breathing an inward sigh of relief, Denmark stooped and shifted his body through the gap with considerable difficulty. Once he was through, Norway appeared out of the hole in the fence soon after before turning to replace the panel in order to hid the secret entrance.

"We're gonna use the front door next time." Norway remarked nonchalantly.

"You're saying that as if it was my idea to use the fence," Lukas shrugged in reply. "Why did we have to go out walking?"

"I'm in the mood for Krumkake. I was wondering if that old lady that kept making food for me is still alive. I hope so- I mean, yeah, she was an aspiring crazy cat lady- but she made hella good Krumkake. You know, I think the only reason she liked me was because I found one of her cats. I never saw that thing again… Wait, what if she puts dead cat in her Krumkake-"

"You're being ridiculous." Denmark turned to face Norway.

"Yeah, I think I'd notice if there was dead cat in there-"

"What is wrong with Finny?" Denmark said quietly.

They kept walking in silence for a long time, Denmark's words hanging between them like a wet rag, echoing in their minds as if he had screamed them at the top of his lungs. It seemed like they had walked a mile before Norway turned to face him. A gentle wind ruffled his loose hair briefly as he stood at what seemed at a loss of words. He opened his mouth a few times but no words came from his lips. He looked defeated, and for a moment Denmark desperately wanted to comfort him; but before he could think of a way, Lukas clenched his fists and looked directly at Mathias with determination. "We don't know. But for now, I need you to tell me exactly what happened- anything at all that you remember. Because _this_, whatever _this_ is, is pretty fucked up."

Denmark's eyes widened. His left hand started shaking on its own accord, which he quickly hid by grabbing onto it with his other hand in an attempt to make it still. He tried to keep Norway's gaze but eventually looked away. "I can't tell you." Mathias whispered. Lukas cocked his head to show that he hadn't heard what he had said, and seemed to be about to ask when a ringtone began emitting from Norway's jean pocket. He fished it out and glanced at the phone, giving it an annoyed look before putting the mobile to his ear.

"Listen you little shithead, though as your big brother I still love you dearly, why the fuck has my phone got the By The Seaside ringtone instead of the default one? I bet you thought it was real funny, huh? Well I've got news for you, _Din faen_ motherfu-" Lukas stilled suddenly and a flash of fear appeared in his eyes. Without saying another word into the phone he hung up and looked at Denmark in complete seriousness.

"It's Finland. He's missing."

**Sorry for all the cliffhangers but they always seem like the best bit to leave the story. Just so you know, apparently **_Din faen _**means 'You are a Devil' (If it doesn't well then I humbly apologise and you now also know what I meant** **by it).**

**I promise to do my very best to update next Tuesday/Wednesday. So yeah, thanks for reading- and I hope you enjoyed it. ^J^**


	7. Chapter 7

ICELAND

I don't like most people. They're loud, obnoxious and most of all- annoying. Especially when they try to get you to call them Big Brother, which I believe is a major issue that should be dealt with by avoiding contact with such a person at all times. Unfortunately for me, however, such a person is not my only problem. I'm usually surrounded by an ominous tall guy who speaks rarely and struggles to say what he thinks, a shorty who probably has sunshine coming out of his ass and is confirmed among our group to be Santa, and then there's a spiky haired imbecile who most likely still watches _Rasmus Klump_ before bedtime. The reason why I deal with them is unknown to me. If I had to say it would be probably because they're 'family'. In fact I think that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

For a long time my world was dark. I didn't really care. Why would I? It had always been that way- for as long as I could remember, at least. It was cold, empty. Lonely. But like I said, at the time I didn't care. I could sit for hours with only a Puffin for company, just staring up at the glowing lights floating in the night sky. It was like I could see into heaven. In retrospect, I used to live for these moments, for when the day came the lights would disappear and, in my own way, I missed them.

But that was a long time ago. Nowadays, my problem isn't loneliness- it's actually finding time to be alone. Even now, though the room is silent, I'm not by myself. And I can't say that I hate that fact.

"I've told them." Glancing round, I expected Sweden to still be behind me. He was gone. A little after Norway and Denmark had left he had gone to check on Finland, but when he took too long to come back I went to find him. As I came up the stairs, I saw him standing at Tino's open door, his face hidden by shadow. I had known immediately something was wrong. Looking into the empty room now made me feel slightly nauseous. Turning away, I padded down the stairs. As expected, the front door had been left wide open. _Here I was thinking that I was going to have a quiet evening in._ I shook the thought away. "Yeah, as if I'd ever be able to have a quiet evening in this place." I stopped for a second. Silence was my only reply. I clicked my tongue in annoyance at my own stupidity. What had I been expecting? As if I'd get a reply in this empty house. Grabbing a muffler, I wrapped it loosely around my neck. It wasn't right. No matter how much it pissed me off. No matter how loud, obnoxious or annoying they may be. Right now I didn't care how ominous the tall guy was, or how little he spoke. I don't care how bright the light coming from the short guy's ass may be, nor about the fact that on Christmas eve he mysteriously disappears for the night. I couldn't give a fuck how imbecilic the spiky hair douchebag was, and the fact he might still watch kid's cartoons doesn't matter to me. A certain person making me call him Big Brother? Sometimes such a thing makes me want to scream- but right now I couldn't care less. They are my family. _That_ is the only thing that matters to me. Closing the door to the dark, silent house, the feeling that told me something bad was bound to happen grew stronger by the second. _No, I won't let anything happen_. That house should never be quiet.

Right then, I vowed that I'd never let that place be empty again.

DENMARK

They had been searching for around an hour already but there was still no sight of Finland. At one point they had both spotted Sweden in the distance but he had already disappeared down one of the streets before they could reach him. Denmark stopped for a moment and leant heavily on a lamppost. "Don't tell me you're finally feeling your age?" Norway's usual flat sarcasm failed to hide his true concern. Mathias shook his head.

"We should split up then," Lukas gestured towards the woods, "I'll go there, while you can go to the convenience store nearby and ask around. Bro, you're making me feel colder just looking at you, so you need to go somewhere warmer. Order a coffee or something." Denmark met his gaze but remained silent. With a certain disappointment, Norway turned around and started to walk away. Pausing for a second, he turned his head slightly. His breath formed a cloud in front of him. After hesitating a while longer, he shifted his head so he was looking completely away from Mathias. "Get me a coffee too." Norway muttered before jogging quickly away. Denmark stood in silence for a while. It was painfully obvious that what Norway had wanted to say hadn't been those words. He smiled to himself slightly. It was to give him reassurance more than anything. Looking at the forest at the end of the street, an overpowering feeling of dread took over his body. Lukas had probably felt it too, which was why he had gone in. "Sorry," Mathias whispered, "But I won't be getting that coffee for you." He broke into a run down the pavement towards the opening in the army of trees. With each step the feeling that something terrible was about to happen grew stronger. Denmark wanted to vomit, but he forced himself forward. The other Nordics were probably in there- drawn in by the same oppressing vibes that came from the woods that Denmark could feel.

Lingering at the back of his mind, a laughing shadow mocked his resolve. It told him it was too late. There was no-one left to save. That his friends were already dead. But _IT HAD BEEN FUN AND NOW THEY ARE THE COLOUR RED_\- Mathias slammed his fist into the trunk of a tree he has been passing. The shadow in his mind immediately disappeared as the pain in his hand blossomed and, though it was hard to see in the darkness, blood began to seep through where the skin had broken on his knuckles. Doing his best to focus on the pain, he continued to run on the uneven ground. His idea appeared to be working, as the throbbing in his hand stopped his mind from remaining open to attacks from… whatever the hell the shadowy thing was. "Ha, I must be going crazy. I don't even know what it is that I'm imagining up in my head." His voice sounded unsteady and breathless even to himself. Bending over slightly as he ran, he propelled himself onwards into the ever present darkness- his determination leading him on.


	8. Chapter 8

SWEDEN

As I walked I became aware that my forehead was bleeding. Every now and then, a single scarlet droplet would trickle down my face and fall to the ground below. I had ignored it for a long time, without even wiping the trails of blood away from my cheeks, but slowly I was becoming more aware of it. Not really the blood, more the sharp throbbing coming from what I assumed was the wound. I slowed to a stop near a small stream and squatted by it, scooping up some icy water within my hand in one single motion. As I moved to splash the water onto my face a sudden image flashed across the stream in front of me. Unsure of what it was, I hunched over to get a better view. There, illuminated by the glowing moon floating in the sky behind me, was my face reflected in the flowing water. It looked like I had been crying blood.

Closing my eyes against the image I splashed the remaining water that was in my hand onto my face and rubbed it vigorously to clean away the blood. Once I was sure it was gone I got back to my feet without looking into the water again. Something told me I may not like what I saw if I did. And in any case, there were matters that concerned me far more than my appearance- bone chilling or otherwise. Finland. I had to find Finland.

FINLAND

He had walked endlessly. He had long since stopped trying to control the direction in which he was going, for he had realised it was useless. His legs moved as if they were a separate part of him, with a mind of their own. Because of this, he had been alone with his thoughts for hours. Well, not completely alone. A presence in his head had been there constantly ever since he had left the relative safety of the house. A shadow.

The shadow had made no movements nor sound, but had just remained lingering in the corner of his mind like a spectator of his predicament. Worryingly, however, it had begun to shift restlessly as he drew closer to what he sensed was his destination. Slowly but surely, the sound of distant laughter seemed to come closer and louder with each forced step he took. In a fit of desperation, Tino tried with every ounce of strength he had left to turn around and leave this place behind him for good. His head turned slightly, but before any sense of accomplishment could set in a searing pain rocketed through his skull.

Falling into a heap on the floor, he momentarily regained control over his movements. He strained his tired muscles as he moved his arms beneath him in order to push himself up. A sudden pressure in between his shoulder blades forced him back down, making him catch the side of his head on a stray rock. A dull thump echoed through him from the collision, and as the inevitable pain set in, he was flipped over onto his back. Biting back a scream, he saw for the first time the face of the shadow which had haunted him. Its lips were non-existent, the skin surrounding its mouth appearing to have been torn away- where scratch marks around the uneven, gaping wound on the Shadow's face suggested that it had used it's fingers to tear the skin off. One particular rip in the skin led up to it's right eye socket, which only had half an eye sitting within it. Where the other half should have been was instead an oozing, sticky red mess which bulged out whenever the Shadow tried to move it's right eye- added to what Finland assumed was most of the optic nerve hanging out with random parts of the missing half of the eye stuck at the ends. The other half of the face had been covered in bloody cloth which did little to hide the fact that the other eye socket was empty, and seemed abnormally larger and more deformed than what would be expected. Tino struggled to control his gag reflexes when he realised that this side of the face had been literally cut into around the eye socket, bone and all, and anything that may have hung loose had been scooped out. Looking at this monster alone told Finland that these wounds were almost certainly self-inflicted. He opened his mouth to scream, only to choke on vomit which he had failed to hold down.

The Shadow laughed, phlegm slipping out from between its teeth, which seemed misplaced on the vile creature as they appeared perfectly even in shape and glistened pearly white. If it's lips were still there, Finland was sure that the Shadow would have been wearing a psychotic grin, as the muscles which were completely exposed on it's jaw convulsed as the laughter it made grew louder and more manic.

Without any warning, the Shadow abruptly stopped it's cackling and raised it's head slightly to the side. "_NO. DO NOT STOP MY FUN AGAIN._" The Shadow whine came out sounding like a spoilt child, and sounded as if it were in pain at the prospect of losing it's 'fun'. Tino lashed out whilst it seemed distracted, shoving the Shadow away from him. Without wasting a single moment he stumbled to his feet and forced his body into a run- hoping that the adrenaline pumping through him from his pure fear of _that thing_ would be enough to fuel his escape.

"FINLAND!"

Glancing around at the sound of the familiar voice, a surge of relief and hope flooded through Tino's body. Sweden. If he was there then this nightmare would end. No matter what, as long as he was with Sweden, he would be able to feel safe again.

"We need to run. Sve, something bad is back there. We should get home and warn the others abo-" A sharp pain slicing into his lower abdomen knocked all the wind out of him, and as Finland gasped for air he began choking. Coughing up the subsistence that was in his throat, he saw red splatter on the ground in front of him. Time around him seemed to stand still as he turned his head to see the Shadow right by his shoulder, apparently hugging him from behind. The monster cocked it's head to the side, "_I DID NOT WANT YOU TO LEAVE YET. YOU ARE NOT VERY NICE._" It tightened it's grip around him, causing Tino to hurl up more blood onto the floor, "_I HAVE TO GO NOW ANYWAY. YOU CAN DIE AS A PUNISHMENT FOR MAKING ME MAD._" Abruptly, the Shadow released him. Blood sprayed out from Finland's body like a fountain. Without Finland realising it, the monster had actually stabbed it's hand into his body, slicing easily into his flesh like a blade. Falling to his knees, he stared helplessly at the receding body of the Shadow, unable to break out of the shock his body had gone into. He swayed slightly before his body began falling the short distance to the ground. Then, suddenly, he was in Sweden's arms, staring up at his horrified face.

Finland did his best to smile. He didn't want Berwald to look like that, and even though Tino felt so, _so_ very tired he wanted to reassure his precious friend. No, the person he loved.

"No…no need to worry," Finland coughed up more blood, "It's not…not as painful as it looks."

Berwald shook his head, tears shining in his eyes. "Don't talk, save your energy-"

Finland choked on a small laugh. "That's the least…original thing…I've ever heard. But seriously…don't worry. Please-" Tears had begun to cloud his vision, so he paused to try and wipe them away. But he could no longer move any of his limbs. A sob racked his body at his helplessness. He just wanted to see Sweden's face. Berwald, as if reading his mind, lifted his hand to Finland's face and gently brushed the tears away from his eyes, only revealing his own tear stained face to Tino's gaze. Finland smiled again, but this time not just to reassure Sweden, but himself as well. His breaths came in rugged rasps, and the effort to keep his eyes open was getting harder to keep up with as each moment passed. Even so, he began to force words through his clogged up throat even though each word left him even more exhausted.

"You know…we're both helpless…at this sort of thing…I don't really give…a convincing argument to not worry…right? But…I should be fine. Not because I'm a country…or practically immortal- but because…I'm with you. Because…no matter how weak…I feel sometimes, when I'm with you…I feel strong. Like everything else no longer matters. So please…don't cry…please don't look sad…Sve, you don't know…how great it feels to…see you smile…so…please…just smile."

Sweden's whole body shook as he held onto Finland, cradling him like a child "I- I can't… I can't do that. Not without you- so just hold on. We'll get through this together, we'll…" Berwald trailed off, no longer able to force words past the sobs racking his body.

Finland closed his eyes briefly, his smile growing fainter- his skin had turned a ghostly white.

"…Please…"

Tino opened his eyes to look Sweden in the eyes, his eyes still holding the same light they had always had. Finland's mouth moved silently as he tried to form words that wouldn't make themselves heard. His energy was almost gone.

"…I…I love…that…smile…"

Sweden's eyes widened. The world had gone deathly silent.

"I…love….you…"

Finland was still.

Berwald's breath shuddered. "Fin? _Don't go. FIN I LOVE YOU_!" His words were met by a blank stare. It felt like his insides had been torn apart. His breathing came in desperate gasps as he pulled Finland closer to him. His body had grown cold.

"…I lost my chance to tell you…didn't I?"

Pulling back slightly, Sweden looked down at his face. Reaching one of his hands up to Finland's eyes, he gently wiped away the remaining tears before closing his eyelids, shutting away their lifelessness. In complete silence, Berwald got to his feet- holding Finland as if he was the most delicate thing in the world. Pausing for one moment, Sweden pressed his forehead against Finland's, ignoring the cold that met his skin. Looking back up, he walked slowly over the uneven forest floor. He was sure that the pain in his chest- his whole body- would never disappear.

Because Finland's eyes would never shine when he smiled ever again.

**Sorry for the later update, I've been doing my GCSEs- but only 7 more exams now! Thank you for reading so far and hoped you enjoyed it ^J^**


	9. Chapter 9

DENMARK

Blood was surging into his head, making the world around him flicker like a dying flame. He wanted to move but he could no longer remember how. All he could do was watch as Finland's life disappeared in Sweden's arms. It was agony. A pain he had never experienced before- as if it were a separate being from himself. Long after Tino had gone still, with Sweden hugging him close as if to keep him warm, Denmark felt his legs beginning to give out beneath him as the shock his body had gone into was slowly wearing off. Supporting himself against the tree of which he had been standing behind, he slumped down onto the floor- careful not to make a noise. As much as he wanted to go and help Berwald, he felt that Sweden deserved more time to be with Finland alone. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, waiting until he heard Sweden move away.

Once he had gone, Mathias let out an uncontrollable sob. "Wh-why?" He croaked out, "This wasn't supposed to happen. It was meant to be the five of us against the world- no matter what we would be together… so why did this happen? Why did it have to be Finland?" His only answer was the empty silence that surrounded him. Suddenly, anger surged through him, making him leap to his feet. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU HURT ANYMORE OF MY FAMILY!" Roughly, he wiped his tears away and once more clenched his fists, "COME OUT YOU FUCKING COWARD! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID, SO STOP HIDING AND COME AND FACE ME!" His threats echoed through the forest, though he received no reply. His breaths came rapidly as he began walking forward- intent on searching the entire world if necessary to find the Shadow. He made a few steps before he tripped over his own feet and landed face first on to the cold, muddy floor. Slowly his anger subsided, leaving only a raw feeling of sorrow and regret. Regret over the fact he could do nothing to save Finland. To protect his family.

"I'm sorry…Tino…" A single tear escaped from Denmark's eye as the world around him faded to black.

**Sorry for the later update but all should be good now seeing I've finished my exams. Hope you enjoy the read ^J^**


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